1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air pumps and, more particularly to novel systems and methods for reducing sound and vibration from air pumps used in aroma therapy.
2. The Background Art
Various mechanisms for treating an environment with moisture, medicaments, and the like have been developed using boilers, heaters, fans, and so forth. Aroma therapy involves evaporation, distribution, or other entrainment of volatiles, essential oils, or the like into breathing air, an atmosphere of a room, or other enclosed space. Applicant has previously developed various mechanisms for distributing atomized liquids into the atmosphere. Likewise, various systems for heating or dissolving aromatic or oil-based materials in a solvent to promote evaporation into the atmosphere have also been relied upon in the art. Meanwhile, various medical devices provide humidification of a space such as a “steam tent” or the like.
However, in aroma therapy, it would be an advance in the art to accommodate space, aesthetics, weight, stability, simplicity of use, ease of use, storage, and the like. Accordingly, it would be an advance in the art to provide an integrated system having suitable weight for stability, a sufficiently small size so excessive footprint and volume are not occupied on a dresser, table, or a night stand, and otherwise rendering a system easily located on furniture within a room. Likewise, it would be an advance in the art to provide an aesthetically pleasing shape integrating all of the functions required for driving an atomizer of, perfume, essential oils, or other material desired to be distributed within an ambient environment.
It would be an advance in the art to provide an air pump for use in aroma therapy that is virtually silent. Reducing sound by several decibels is very difficult because of the fundamental nature of a vibrating motor driving a diaphragm pump. Accordingly, it would be a substantial advance in the art to create a mechanism for damping, isolating, or both, the mechanical vibration and acoustic vibration within air through a mechanical and fluid systems in order to provide a virtually silent pump. It would also be an advance in the art to provide a pump having long life, inexpensive components, easily replaceable parts, few moving parts, few wearing parts, economical maintenance, and simple assembly and operation.